Well, the internet worked last night – After a fashion !!
I eventually managed to get everything up loaded, but it was just to slow doing
some of the other stuff like the map and the naming of the slides, so I gave
up. I was sitting outside and it was
getting cold – I will do that another day !
While I was trying to do all that, the Patagonian sunset over the lake
was superb – Trouble was, after all those photos today, my camera battery was
dead, so I only got three photos – And after that, it got better ! But at least I got to see it !!
Woke up reasonably early and went to check out the view –
Not as dramatic as I had hoped, but certainly not the worst sight of the year
so far ! Once breakfasted and packed
up, I continued on round the southern end of Lago General Carrera, and while
the views remained excellent, the road was still a disaster, with more
corrugations than you should shake a stick at.
Not a fun way to start the day. My rough plan was to mosey round to
Cochrane, and then head south west to Puerto Yungay, and then maybe to Villa
O’Higgins, the official end of the Carretera Austral. Rounding the SW end of Lago General Carrera,
we then went up a rise and were looking back over 3 lakes – the big
General Carrera, then Lago Bertrand and
then the smaller Lago Plomo. All pretty
impressive. From there I followed the
valley of the Rio Baker, and its tributary Rio Neff – These are BIG fast
flowing rivers, with a LOT of water in them, and the water is the palest ice
blue. It passes through narrow gorges
where the water rushes through, and a few minutes later widens out and looks
like the most serene river – Until you see just how fast the water is moving
! Lots of lodges and “activity” centres
for climbing, kayaking, and lots of other young people’s things all the way
through this valley down towards Cochrane.
Also lots of lovely Scottish Thistles – I think there are more here than
in Scotland – Maybe they should be called Patagonian Thistles ? There were also signs saying that Huemules (a
kind of deer) could be on the road and that we should take care. Of course,
once they put up a sign like this, all the huemules disappear !!
Eventually reached Cochrane, and by now the road was
becoming consistently bad with corrugations.
But each town / village has paved roads, which lull you into thinking
that things are improving ! In fact, in
the middle of Cochrane I came out on to a great section of divided highway (in
the middle of town) with benches and grass and all sorts – I thought things
were looking up. As I turned onto this bit of road I looked up to the right and
it changed into dirt, so thinking it was just a dead end, and the main road
must be the good bit, so I turned left.
Then my Garmin started flashing that I was going the wrong way – And
after following the good road right through town (where it eventually stopped
!), I did a U turn and went back up the road – Yup, that dirt road I had
discounted initially was the main road out of town !! Whoops !
Almost immediately, the road got so bad with corrugations
that it made all previous roads (that I have been complaining about), look like
billiard tables !! The corrugations were atrocious, and it was not as if they
were just occasional – They were continuous !!
We passed over bridge (20 metres
of smooth concrete !!) over a river which disappeared down a hole – So I got
out for a look, and this river absolutely
roared through this narrow gap in the rock, and then fell about 30
metres, with the spray causing rainbows in the sunlight. Very dramatic, but no
path or anything – You had to risk life and limb to climb over fences and lean
over rocks to see what was happening !
Then it was on down this TERRIBLE road – I was doing less than 20 kmh,
although the locals, all of whom seem to be in identical red Mitsubishi pick
ups (Government cars ?), were flying down the road. Lots of bicycles, even one
with those super fat tyres, trying to make it easier on the corrugations and
dirt, and all had to wear face masks because of the dust thrown up by passing
vehicles. Not a pleasant day out for
anyone !!
The scenery was pretty good, but the road was getting
worse. Poor old Troopie was all right
driving wise, but being essentially a motor home with everything inside, she
was shaking to pieces inside. I could go
at 10 – 20 kmh and it was OK, but I would never het to Puerto Yungay 120 kms
away, let alone Villa O’Higgins, and other 100 kms further. More importantly, I was not having fun
either. Cars coming the other way were
going very fast, throwing up rocks, and the road was narrow – Single car width
in many places. I had 3 or 4 near misses
with idiots flying over brows towards me and nearly pushing me off the road
(and I was on the OUTSIDE, with the cliff beside me !), and in the knowledge
that I would have to come all the way back up the same road, I made a decision
over lunch by the roadside that I would turn back. I still have a lot of miles to go, and a lot
of great scenery to come – I am afraid the last 150 kms of the Carretera
Austral will have to remain unconquered by GBC until another day. After my lunch, I did the 30 kms back to
Cochrane, and if anything the road seemed worse than earlier ! I spoke to a few cyclists and when I said I
was turning back, they said they understood – they weren’t really enjoying it
either. But then they do not have to
ride back up the road again – They can catch a boat round into Argentina
!! I was a little bit upset to start
with, but there is so much more to see, so……
When I was almost back to Cochrane, I came round a corner
and there was a pop top Troopie – From Switzerland !! Ueli and Kathrin Wurth. www.matembezi.ch So I stopped and interrupted their lunch and
we swapped tales. They have come down
through Africa and parts of the Middle East, and have already been on the road
18 months. Theirs is a fine Troopie –
They have really done the inside up well, doing it all themselves, and it
really looks nice. I still like mine,
but theirs is the first one I have seen that comes (very) close to the good
layout and efficiency of Troopie !! There were several bits of their I would be
more than happy to transfer into Troopie !! They are heading North, so I probably won’t
see them again, but very nice to meet them and know yet another Troopie on the
road !!
Then it was back through Cochrane, and then north. But I had found out today that there is
another border crossing into Argentina that means I don’t have to do the same
crossing at Chile Chico twice – But it’s a very small one called Paso
Roballos. About 17 kms north of Cochrane
I therefore turned right onto this single lane dirt road – The surface of which
was FAR better than the one I had been fighting for the past 24 hours !! And dramatic ? It is unbelievable. Hardly anyone on it, and it winds though
these valleys where enormous herds of guanaco graze – Hundreds of them !! Amazing scenery all the way as we went
further and further out into no where on this little dirt road. Suddenly I see a big roof over a hill – and
when I round the curve, absolutely in the middle of NOWHERE, there is this big
resort / hotel / restaurant, with sprinklers watering the grass and everything
!! I thought I was about to fall off the
map, and then I find this – Totally gobsmacked !
From there I continued for about another 30 kms, passing
lakes, rocky cliffs, lots of guanaco, and looking for a place to stop before I
reached the border. Nearly stopped at a
couple of roadside places, but then at almost 6 pm, I saw a little turning, and
it went down to a river and even had 5 or 6 parking bays in the trees, although
they were a bit over grown. How perfect
– And far enough off the road that no one could see me. So I back into a parking area, set up, cooked
my spag for dinner, and then hit the hay.
What an amazing day – A bit of disappointment, a lot of
horrible roads, easily the worst of the trip so far, but then I am camped
tonight in the most beautiful bush site in the middle of nowhere (unless there
is another hotel just around the corner
!!
Just to give you an idea of how bad the roads were today
let me tell you something. JC turned
water into wine at Canaan, and everyone thought that was pretty clever. Well today I managed to turn milk into
butter, I also turned a tomato (remember those over ripe ones I was forced to
buy yesterday ?) into tomato puree, while simultaneously turning 3 eggs into a
mess that covered everything in the fridge !! The fridge was a MESS when I
opened it up, and considering I have done almost 50,000 kilometres to date and
NEVER had such problem, it gives you an
idea of how bumpy the roads were today !!
PS The fact that the water in my water bottle was still
water at the end of the day and not wine was a bit of a disappointment, I will
admit. But I am working on that !!
Mock ye not the Lord etc. etc. You should know better!
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